Teddy Bears and Red Inked Maps
by Lune-Solei
Summary: Relena contemplates the extent of her life and what politics has done to it and in the process meets up with an old friend unexpectantly. Heero/Relena friendship-y


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam Wing

**Rating:** G-ish

**Warnings:** Uh, none.

**Pairing:** Kinda 1xR-ish.

**Author's Note:** Okay, so enough people (you know who you are) have bugged me for a 1xR fic. I, of course, have no idea why since I've never written one yet you all think I'd be good at it. :mind boggles at thought: Well, here it is. I hope it meets all your expectations. Oh, and this was written for the gw500 prompt of "general."

**Dedication:** To all of you who requested a 1xR fic from me. And to Ems because this might've just gotten her addicted to GW.

* * *

She's turning eighteen in a week and she feels closer to fifty. Sometimes the thought comes to her when she's sitting in another luxurious hotel room or in the middle of giving a speech to middle aged politicians with wives as young as she. Other times it comes when she's on the phone with an old classmate, Clara, and she listens as the girl chatters endlessly about life now that she's at University and about her newest boyfriend.

On one such night she is sitting in her suite on one of the colonies in L1, listening to Clara drone on and on about classes. A fond smile touches her lips as she listens, wondering what her own life would have been like if her father had not died and revealed her true identity to her. Her eyes catch on the teddy bear sitting on her open suitcase and her smile widens. Clara notices immediately and her chatter dies as Relena picks up the bear, staring at it. One of the eyes is a bit crooked now and the ribbons a little frayed, but it still looks perfect.

"Miss Relena, if you don't mind my asking, what's the significance of the bear? I've seen you with it countless times but I don't remember you having it at Saint Gabriel's."

"It was a present, from a…" she pauses, eyes turning reflective. "From a friend," she says decidedly. She sets the bear down on the table and turns back to her friend. "Do you buy your own groceries?"

"What?" Clara's face scrunches and the picture distorts a moment before smoothing out. "Have I bought my own groceries? No, but Miss Relena, why does that matter?"

"I'm almost eighteen and I've never bought my own groceries. Or my own clothes. Hardly anything actually," Relena muses aloud. "I visit all these places and never step foot outside unless it's to go to a meeting or conference or party…"

"Miss Relena are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm sorry but I must go now. I'll call you tomorrow maybe. Goodbye."

"Miss Relena…"

She ends the transmission though and glances out the window as she rifles through the suitcase, pulling on a jacket and hat. The guards that are supposed to be stationed at her door are a few feet away, backs turned as the gamble on dice and cards, cursing and laughing. She shakes her head as she heads for the back stairs knowing that Une and her brother (most definitely her brother) would have their heads if this got out. She was sure they wouldn't tell.

Outside the air is crisp and she breathes in deeply, exhaust and smoke filling her senses while music pulses from the open doorways to various restaurants and other establishments. She turns, following the street, meandering with her hands deep in her pockets and face turned to the sky above. But there isn't sky, just silver metal curling over her head, lit here and there in the dark to show a semblance of night. She misses Earth's sky.

Another turn and she finally starts to notice street signs as well as the fact that she's drifted away from the main hub of the city and into the more residential sections. Here the houses are dark or barely lit, she sees the glow of a television in one window, and a dog barks as she passes. "I represent this," she whispers to herself. "I am the one who represents peace and I don't know what I'm doing, do I?"

She shakes her head, grinning when she sees the store up ahead. It's a small general store selling food and trinkets and the bell over the door chimes as she enters. "Hello Miss," an elderly man says from behind the counter. He has his hat pulled low and she catches the glint of dark eyes.

"Hello." She wanders down the aisles, glancing at the small array or greeting cards, sun block, and flip flops. Sun block in March? She shakes her head and continues down another lined with chips, cheap cameras and soda. A wall of freezers and refrigerators lines the back of the store and she grins, grabbing a pint of Rocky Road and a bottle of Sprite.

"That all Miss?" the cashier asks when she sets her purchases down. The door chimes open as she nods and the old man glances up. "Evening Sir," he greets. She doesn't hear a response from whoever answered and the man glances at her again. "I'm sorry, what did you say Miss?"

"It's quite all right. I said yes," she replies with a smile. He smiles back ringing her up and glances at her.

"That'll be twelve-fifty then." She stared at him and he raised an eyebrow. "You payin' in cash o' credit?"

"Oh, well…" she trailed off, face turning red. _Stupid, stupid Relena! Why didn't you think of _money_ before coming out? Everyone needs money, even the Vice Foreign Minister!_ she yelled internally.

"I'll get it." She jumped, turning halfway and catching sight of messy brown hair and blue denim. She must show surprise, or be making strange faces because suddenly he smirks and nods to her. "Relena."

"Heero…but…you, I thought…" Her mind races faster than her thoughts can follow. He hands the money over while the old man gazes at them strangely.

"Can you ring this up too?"

"Right, Sir." He added the purchases up and said a total but she didn't hear since she was staring hard at Heero Yuy. The last time she'd seen him had been when he'd left Sank, sometime in mid-January. Two years ago. "Thank you Sir," the cashier said when Heero apparently handed over the money.

"Come on Relena or your ice cream will melt." He grabbed her arm and their bags, pulling her through the door, the bell tinkling over head as the door closed.

"How…I mean, imagine seeing you here," she laughs. She twirls a strand of blonde hair around her fingers and glances at him out of the corner of her eye. He's still holding her forearm, lightly propelling her through the streets and toward the more noisy part of the city. He's also smirking. "Do you live here then or are you simply planning to kill me yet again?"

"I live around here," he replies vaguely.

"You don't frequent that store a lot," she replied easily. He glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "He seems the type to remember a face and he called you Sir when you entered after me. So you don't go there often, then why…" Her voice trails off as his eyes scan the crowds around them but the smirk is 

widening. "Heero Yuy!" she exclaims stopping in the middle of the crosswalk. A car honks impatiently and she glares at it. "You, I can't…you…!"

"I remember you being more eloquent in your speeches."

"Heero…" she growls as the car honks again. The driver leans out, yelling at them and she glares even more ferociously. She turns back and stares at him. "Explain yourself."

"Yes, I followed you," he mutters. He tightens his grip, hauling her out of the crosswalk and back onto the sidewalk. "I have no intention of killing you though you seem more than inclined to do so yourself. Come on; time to get back to the hotel."

"No. Not until I get more answers!"

"Relena."

"I'm not moving Heero. I can be very stubborn, you should remember that." She thinks she hears him mutter something that sounds suspiciously like "I do" before he drags her down an alley and onto another, somewhat quieter street. She raises an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

"L1 isn't safe Relena. There're still a lot of dissenters here. When you visit I like to keep an eye on you, not that you needed it much before now." He hands sets the bags down on the ground and runs a hand through his hair before picking them up again. "I'll have to phone Une and report those guards as well. Lot of good they did."

"Heero, I went to the store to get _ice cream_," she ignores his look, "nothing happened to me!"

"He's one of the dissenters Relena. Don't even think he didn't know who you were."

"He's an old man!"

"He's killed before." The dark eyes stare into hers. "You would have been nothing. Come on, we're almost back." She doesn't protest as he continues to guide her down brightly lit streets until they come to the intersection her hotel is on. "You have to be careful Relena, you can't be reckless."

"Right," she grumbles. He smiles at her faintly and shoves the bags into her hands. She takes them silently. "Will I see you again?"

"I try not to be seen."

Her eyes roll automatically and she smiles. "I _know_ that, obviously." She reaches up, brushing back her bangs. "I miss seeing you Heero and no one knows where you are." She takes a breath, watching his face carefully. "Many of us," she didn't need to specify the _us_ part, "believed you dead."

"It's better that way." He pushes her toward the revolving door and she notices the hotel name for seemingly the first time. The Winner and she wonders distantly if Quatre owns it. "Don't look for me Relena, I belong in the shadows."

"Heero…"

He ignores her, like usual. "And Relena?" he calls as she's stepping toward the door. She half turns, watching him. "Remember money next time."

She wants to believe that she did the mature thing, turning her back to his smirk and storming into the hotel. It isn't until she gets back to her room (the guards are still playing dice she notes absently) that she realizes he gave her _all_ the bags. His included. She frowns, pulling out her slightly melted ice cream and setting it on the table along with her Sprite.

Opening his she sees a map of the colony with one section circled in red ink. She frowns, reading the unfamiliar street names. She sees where her hotel is, about fifteen miles away, and finally refolds the map and pulls out the second item.

A card.

The envelope has her name on is and on the back the words _Read me_ are written in that same red ink. She smiles despite herself, opening the envelope and pulling out the card. On the cover is a picture of some sort of flower (her mother was the gardener, not she) and she opens it, not bothering to read the printed words. _If you ever need me, there's a map, ask around there. Happy birthday Relena _is scrawled at the bottom and there's no signature.

She grins, grabbing her bear and twirls around the room before hopping onto her bed. So it isn't a written address or phone number but it _is_ something. She cuddles the bear to her as she stares out the window, still smiling. And to think, she'd felt like she was almost fifty earlier today when now she feels just like Clara pining after her boyfriends.

"Okay Heero," she whispers to the dimly lit room. "Stick to your shadows for now but I'm going to get you into the light eventually." She fell asleep, still in her clothes with the bed made and the Rocky Road melting on the table.


End file.
